About 50% of US Department of Education employees cut. What does that mean for Kentucky?

Plans to cut nearly half the U.S. Department of Education’s workforce, announced Tuesday by the department, will make it difficult for Kentucky to maintain capacity in critical areas and receive technical assistance, Kentucky Education Commissioner Robbie Fletcher said.

It will also likely cause changes in the processes by which the Kentucky Department of Education acquires federal funds, Fletcher said.

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a news release Tuesday that as part of the Department of Education’s “final mission,” the department has initiated a plan to slash its workforce by nearly 50%.

Affected federal education department staff will be placed on administrative leave beginning March 21.

The cuts are the latest move by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to slash the federal workforce. Trump has said he wants to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education altogether, though he cannot do so without approval from Congress.

When President Trump was inaugurated in January, the department’s workforce stood at 4,133 workers. After the cuts, the department’s workforce will be about 2,183.

Included in the reductions are nearly 600 employees who accepted voluntary resignation opportunities and retirement over the last seven weeks, the news release said.

“Today’s reduction in force reflects the Department of Education’s commitment to efficiency, accountability, and ensuring that resources are directed where they matter most: to students, parents, and teachers,” said McMahon. “This is a significant step toward restoring the greatness of the United States education system.”

McMahon said the U.S. Department of Education will continue to deliver on all statutory programs that fall under the agency’s purview, including formula funding, student loans, Pell Grants, funding for special needs students, and competitive grantmaking.

“All divisions within the Department are impacted by the reduction, with some divisions requiring significant reorganization to better serve students, parents, educators, and taxpayers,” she said.

Fletcher told the Herald-Leader Tuesday night that while McMahon said the U.S. Department of Education would continue to deliver programs, “the reduction in force will likely result in changes in the processes by which we acquire these funds.

“A reduction of force of this magnitude will present challenges in maintaining capacity in critical areas and availability of technical assistance to state agencies,” Fletcher said. “It is our hope that these changes will have a minimal impact on the day-to-day operations of our department, and more importantly, of our schools, “ he said.

Fletcher said he does not anticipate layoffs at the Kentucky Department of Education since it has not lost any funding at this point.

In a statement Tuesday night posted on his Facebook account, Fayette County School Board Chairman Tyler Murphy called the reduction “irresponsible and reckless.”

Murphy said attempting to “illegally dismantle” the Department of Education isn’t about giving education back to the states.

“It actually undermines local school districts and our ability to support each and every student — including the students who carry the burdens of poverty into our classrooms, children with unique and specific needs who deserve just as much of a chance to learn and thrive as their peers, “ said Murphy, “And our educators who need resources, smaller class sizes, support, and ongoing professional learning to serve their students.”

“These actions are irresponsible and reckless and would jeopardize opportunities for children and families in every school district,” Murphy said.

Murphy also evoked Kentucky voters’ rejection last fall of an amendment that would have allowed the use of taxpayer money for schooling options other than public schools.

“Kentucky fought public school privatizers and naysayers in 2024 and defeated vouchers 2-1,” Murphy said.”And we’ll continue to fight these efforts to undermine public education. We know the power and promise of our public schools — the children who rely on them need and deserve our support not our scorn.”

This story was originally published March 12, 2025 at 8:50 AM.